Love?
by ElphabaROCKS
Summary: Love is an emotion that Elphaba has no experience in and a lot of fear of. Cue Prince Fiyero Tiggular...ALAYM fic, oneshot Fiyeraba.


**Erm...yes, let's get this over with; I hate reality. If only my job was to sit there all day writing-what a world! But unfortunately, I have a real life, with real performances to be in, real schools to go to, real papers to write and real problems to deal with, so...I'm a real life slacker. There you go.**

**I didn't mean to not write, but my**** cat ate my Fanfiction account!**

**OK, enough with the excuses...on to the story...**

As she ran through the Great Gilikin Forest, continuously glancing over her shoulder to check for Gale Force members, Elphaba reflected that maybe she should have gone into Library Sciences.

What a joy it must be, to spend the entire day reading book after book, then go home to an actual bed and real, cooked food. She might have even gotten weekends off and could go and have lunch with Galinda, just two normal best friends.

Yes, sorcery had defiantly not been her smartest choice.

When the lights of the City could no longer be seen in the dark forest, she came to a halt, breathing hard after the long run. As far as the witch could tell, nobody had followed and all was safe, at least for the time being.

Behind Elphaba, her companion collapsed, probably never having ran so fast for as long as they just did. Considering that, he had done fairly well; they only stopped twice for him to catch his breath.

Elphaba had to marvel him, though. Truthfully, he must be Oz's greatest idiot for what he had just done. What person in their right mind would voluntarily put themself in danger by accompanying the _Wicked Witch of the West,_ of all people, in her escape from the law?

She sighed and slumped down next to the panting Prince, waiting for him to say something, _anything_, that might explain his actions.

Finally, Fiyero regained his breath and grinned at her, "Well, that was fun."

She rolled her eyes; he hadn't changed very much. Still, there was something older about the prince. Perhaps it was the sad eyes or the commanding tone, but Fiyero seemed to have matured several years since she last saw him.

Still, his Princly manner remained, and everything about him still screamed a wealthy and privileged lifestyle. Compared to her too thin figure, wild features, and raggedy clothes, he looked like he owned the Emerald City. If only she looked less witchy...the librarian appearance would certainly be better...

Elphaba sighed again.

"What's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She gently shrugged it away and shook her head in disbelief, "Why in Oz did you come, Fiyero?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, but stared at a squirrel climb a tree in front of him. "I was sick of it," he finally said. "Sick of all the lies, tired of always pretending to agree with something I didn't, of hurting those who did nothing, of proclaiming hatred of a girl that I truly loved."

Elphaba froze. _Loved?_ Could it be possible that he felt that odd feeling for her as she did for him? Love? The obsessive affection that seemed to never leave, that made her heart warm strangely as it had never done before? Surly not...he wasn't talking about her, maybe somebody else...

Her expression must have betrayed her thoughts, for he smiled and slipped an arm around her shoulders. This time, her shock and confusion was so great, that she didn't even shrug him off.

"I've been looking for you for a long time, Elphaba. I joined the Gale Force to find you, join you. And now, by pure luck, I have and can tell you that I lo-"

"Don't say it!" Elphaba was up on her feet now, trembling, and backing up against the other trees. "Don't you dare...it's not true...wishing only wounds the heart..." she muttered, glaring at him, but shaking.

Carefully, Fiyero stood up and inched forward to her. "Elphaba, come here, I promise I won't hurt you. I promise."

But she stood back against the trees like a frightened deer. What had she done, letting him come along? He was the _Capitan_ of the Guard, for goodness sake. Her sworn enemy. She couldn't trust him, couldn't fall in love with him...

However, when he reached out and gently touched her cheek, these thoughts fled. There was such concern in his eyes, such honesty and compassion, that she actually felt, for the first time in two years, safe.

But she turned away from him, backing up a few more inches. Of course, she was not afraid of _him._ Her power could protect her no matter what danger occurred. No, she was scared of the effect that he had on her. Around Fiyero, she became blank and unable to reason. The butterflies she got were those of a stupid schoolgirl, not a grown woman, and very much not a Wicked Witch.

There was no reason to feel this safety, not reason to trust him. He had spent the last two years part of a group trying to kill her. She should be wiping his memory and sending him back to the Emerald Palace, not standing here like a love-stricken moron.

And yet...

He turned her face to meet his again and once more said those three dreaded, yet wished for words. Elphaba was lost in a whirlwind of emotions, pulled back and forth between trusting and not. He loved her...but he was dangerous...but he loved her...

She never reached a conclusion in this internal debate, for just then, he stopped all her thinking processes by doing something so stupid and shocking, it could be given an award;

He leaned forward and kissed her.

The witch's world stood still as any ounce of reason left drained away. All she could comprehend was that Fiyero was kissing her and they were both currently defying every fairytale ever written.

Most importantly, he wasn't disappearing into mist like so many dreams, nor was he turning away in disgust and leaving her. No, he was defiantly kissing her and she felt, truthfully, that she couldn't be happier.

Elphaba smiled against his lips and a small laugh escaped her own. The Prince pulled back and raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

She smirked, "I'm just really glad that I didn't become a Librarian." Without further explanation, she leaned in and kissed him. Despite all of the disadvantages, being the Wicked Witch of the West did have it's perks.

**Please review!**


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